Former Contractor Convicted for $1.1 Million MRE Theft from Ft. Bliss

A federal jury in El Paso, Texas, has convicted Joseph Lavar Davis, a 47-year-old former U.S. Army civilian contractor, for stealing over 200 pallets of Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) valued at approximately $1,120,000. The conviction follows an investigation into a scheme that exploited his knowledge of military supply processes.

Davis was indicted on February 12, 2025, alongside three co-defendants, for conspiracy to commit theft of government property and a substantive count of theft of government property. The illicit activities occurred between February 24, 2020, and August 12, 2020, involving the theft of MREs from Ft. Bliss. An August 2020 search warrant at an El Paso warehouse uncovered about 100 pallets of the stolen goods.

The investigation revealed Davis, who previously worked in Army food service supply, used his civilian contractor position to create false requests for MREs. He rented trucks, coordinated with co-conspirators—including a soldier, an intermediary, and an online seller—to pick up, transport, and deliver the MREs, and negotiated sales prices and received payments.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said, "Joseph Davis betrayed the very country he once swore to protect in an effort to satisfy his own selfish ambition and a jury of his peers held him accountable for it." Jarod Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI El Paso Field Office, added that the conviction sends a clear message that the FBI and its partners prioritize bringing those who steal government property to justice. This prosecution supports the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.